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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27614810">The Lark Academy: A Mystery Box of a Human Being</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ETNMystic/pseuds/ETNMystic'>ETNMystic</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Lark Academy Series [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Escape the Night (Web Series), Our ETerNity Together (Web Series AU), The Umbrella Academy (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Umbrella Academy AU</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 03:00:19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>9,454</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27614810</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ETNMystic/pseuds/ETNMystic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It's a second generation of spontaneous births. And with it comes a mysterious child.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Lark Academy Series [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2033023</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Prologue Thingy</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dede42/gifts">Dede42</a>, <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/NervousAliceCurious/gifts">NervousAliceCurious</a>, <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/SummerInAmsterdam/gifts">SummerInAmsterdam</a>.</li>


        <li>
            Inspired by

            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27513412">Escape the Night – The Hawk Academy: Roi Discovered What?!</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dede42/pseuds/Dede42">Dede42</a>.
        </li>

    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The year 1993 turned out to be an odd one for the world. For the same thing that happened on October 1st, 1989 ended up happening once again, except this time, it was in spades. An undetermined amount of women ended up giving birth to an unknown amount of children on more than one occasion that year. Much like in 1989, these women were not pregnant when the day first began, but had ended up becoming full-term that same day.</p><p>Various men competed to find these children and take them in, feeling that they would have similar potential to Hargreeves’ children. One such man was Andrew Clarke who had been in the business of selling songbirds; the motifs of them were everywhere in his estate. With his luck, he managed to find and take in twenty-two of them, with a few he managed to take in later.</p><p>However Hargreeves was looking for a second wave of children to take in to the Umbrella Academy, particularly a few special ones. He would have Pogo spy on the academy to see if there was a way he could take them at a moment’s notice. But their mother Elise, their trainer Jax, and the right-hand wolf Reagan, would make sure that Pogo kept his distance. </p><p>After a while, Hargreeves decided to make a direct approach, and invited Clarke for tea. </p><p>"Absolutely not!" </p><p>Pogo flinched as Mr. Clarke nearly broke his tea cup at the proposition of Hargreeves taking two of his children. The tea spilled all over the floor, but Grace was there to make sure it was clean.</p><p>"You truly think that I would give up such amazing children? Unthinkable! Unutterable! Unjustified!" </p><p>"Trust me, Clarke," Mr. Hargreeves said, completely unfazed by this outburst of rage.<br/>"It'd do you well to. Children like that, especially a child such as <em>her, </em>are unpredictably powerful."</p><p>"And just what makes you think that I would simply hand them over, especially to someone like you?"</p><p>"I know how to deal with children like those better than you ever will."</p><p>"How dare you even consider that I have neither the skill nor the dedication for them, especially for <em>her</em>!"</p><p>"Mr. Clarke, sir," Pogo said calmly.<br/>"I advise that you control your temper. We are here to have a civil discussion."</p><p>"Civil discussion? What a laugh. You all brought me here to mock me, you believe that just because you've raised those seven children that you could ever handle any of the children that I have found."</p><p>"It's not a matter of whether or not you <em>could</em> raise them, Clarke," Hargreeves assured him.<br/>"It's a matter of whether or not you have the dedication, willingness, and ability to do so."</p><p>"I assure you, Hargreeves, that I have more dedication, willingness, and ability in my pinky finger than you ever will in your whole life. And the parents were extremely well-compensated for their sacrifices anyway."</p><p>The two sipped their tea for a little longer, not even daring to take their eyes off of one another, before Hargreeves spoke again.</p><p>"That may be true, but you've told me that training <em>her</em> would be a grave mistake."</p><p>Clarke nodded at this.</p><p>"Yes, I have indeed. And it is true."</p><p>"Not under my guidance."</p><p>"Your guidance," Clarke scoffed.<br/>"Don't make me laugh. You pick favorites with your children; for all I know, you'll just leave her in the dust."</p><p>"Now you know that I'd never do that to any of my children."</p><p>All of a sudden, there was a knock at the door and Grace went to get it. She soon returned.</p><p>"Two from the Clarke Academy are here, dear. A Jax and Reagan, they say."</p><p>Hargreeves nodded.</p><p>"Let them in."</p><p>With a nod, she went away and came back with a rather handsome-looking man and another person with crystal eyes.</p><p>"Sure are takin' yer sweet time, huh," the first said in a medium-tempo Texan accent.</p><p>"We do not wear shoes in this household unless they are for training," Hargreeves said.</p><p>"Ah do what ah want when ah want it," he hissed.</p><p>"Jax," Clarke scolded.<br/>"Let's not be so confrontational yet. Even if we do not see eye-to-eye, this is Hargreeves' home and we must be polite. That goes for you too, Reagan."</p><p>Reluctantly, Jax kicked off his boots while Reagan set their shoes aside. They took a seat in two empty chairs.</p><p>"How are the children, by the by?" Clarke asked.</p><p>Jax shrugged.</p><p>"Last ah checked, Elise had a good handle on watchin' over them."</p><p>"Indeed," Reagan replied in a baritone rumble.<br/>"Though <em>they </em>were acting up again."</p><p>"I told you, Clarke," Hargreeves shrugged.<br/>"If they were in <em>my </em>care, they wouldn't be so fussy."</p><p>"They are children," Clarke asserted.<br/>"Children are fussy. It's simply in their nature."</p><p>"How's the discussion going?" Reagan asked.</p><p>"He wishes to take <em>them </em>off of my hands, but especially <em>her.</em>"</p><p>They glared at Hargreeves.</p><p>"Just what makes you think that you can take better care of them than we can?"</p><p>"I have prior experience."</p><p>"These children are a different kind," Jax shrugged.<br/>"Yer gonna drive yerself down ta hell if ya do."</p><p>"You'll fare no better," he argued.</p><p>Clarke sighed before standing up.</p><p>"I believe we are finished here, Hargreeves. My final answer is no."</p><p>Reginald narrowed his eyes at him.</p><p>"You say that now, but when <em>they</em> begin to realize the extent of <em>their</em> power--"</p><p>"We shall cross that bridge when we come to it," he asserted as the three of them put their shoes back on.<br/>"Good evening and good bye, Hargreeves."</p><p>They showed themselves to the front door. Clarke had a solemn expression on his face as they walked back, no one saying a word for some time.</p><p>"Why do you have that look on your face, sir?" Reagan asked.</p><p>Clarke barely took a glance at them.</p><p>"If I know Hargreeves, and I'm quite certain that I do, I know that he won't give up on obtaining those children, especially children like <em>them.</em>" </p><p>And unfortunately, he would turn out to be correct.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The First Mission</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Their tenth birthday's here, and their first mission is definitely distinct from the Hargreeves.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p3">
  <span class="u"> <strong>Mystic's POV:</strong> </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <strong>Date: July 11th, 2003.</strong>
</p><p class="p3">“Children, this is the day you’ve been waiting for.”</p><p class="p3">Andrew Clarke, the man who I was supposed to call my father, was speaking to us on our 10th birthday. We were just about to stop our very first crime, but unlike Hargreeves who had his children stop a bank robbery, this one was, let’s say, a little different.</p><p class="p3">"After much training, today you shall unveil your personas and powers to the world."</p><p class="p3">Everyone else seemed really excited save for a couple of us, myself included. See, he told everyone else specifically that they were going to go out and fight but he never spoke to me. I wasn't sure why.</p><p class="p3">“I realize that Hargreeves did this four years ago, but it was a mere bank robbery, and I am willing to go above and beyond to show that my children are the very best at what they do. Now I want you to go out there and give it your all; prove to me that your training has paid off. Is that understood?”</p><p class="p3">“Yes father,” we all replied in unison as we had been taught to do.</p><p class="p2">He gave a small smile.</p><p class="p3">“Excellent. Elise, the uniforms.”</p><p class="p3">Nodding she pushed a button on the side of the van to reveal a long set of uniforms; it was like Christmas day or that’s what I thought....Anyway I went over to look for mine but I couldn’t find it anywhere, so after everyone else I got in their uniforms, I went over to dad.</p><p class="p3">“Father," I asked hesitantly.<br/>"Where’s my uniform?”</p><p class="p3">He didn’t answer. I thought maybe he was just distracted so I asked again.</p><p class="p3">“Father, where is my uniform?”</p><p class="p3">This time he looked at me, so I was sure that he heard me, but he didn’t answer. I was beginning to get very worried.</p><p class="p3">"Father," I squeaked.<br/>"Please tell me! I don’t know where my uniform is."</p><p class="p3">Finally he sighed and turned to me.</p><p class="p3">"Number 22," he said.<br/>"I didn't bring your uniform. I’m afraid this is too dangerous of a mission for you."</p><p class="p3">I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Too dangerous for only me?!</p><p class="p3">"But it’s not dangerous for them?" I exclaimed.<br/>"This is a theatre assassination we're being sent to stop! How is that safe for any 10 year old?" </p><p class="p2">He just shook his head.</p><p class="p3">"You know that your powers are too weak. It’ll be better if you just stay out of the way."</p><p class="p3">At that moment, my heart broke into 1 million pieces. No wonder he hadn’t talked to me about this. Hurt was filling my body, but so was another emotion; rage. Dad had never bothered to start training me like he did the others; of course he wasn't going to let me go on the first mission ever. But that wasn't about to stop me. </p><p class="p3">Infuriated, I dashed out of the van. </p><p class="p3">"Number 22!" he yelled.<br/>"Get back here this instant!"</p><p class="p3">I didn't listen to him. Why should I when I'd begged him to train me, but he never listened to me? I was going to help stop this assassination no matter what.</p><hr/><p class="p3">
  <span class="u"> <strong>Narration:</strong> </span>
</p><p class="p3">The assassins, roughly a baker's dozen, were hiding in the lobby just outside the door to the main theatre, unaware of the group that was about to ambush them. </p><p class="p3">"They should be at the final act," one of them said.<br/>"Get the glocks ready."</p><p class="p3">They began to prep their guns. It didn't matter how many bullets they were going to waste. They just needed a hit on their target. If anyone else got shot, it was because they were in the way.</p><p class="p3">In entered a short guy dressed like them, confusing the assassins. Was this back-up sent by the boss?</p><p class="p3">"Who are you?" one of them asked suspiciously.</p><p class="p3">They gave a small smirk.</p><p class="p3">"MY NAME JET!" they called, as if giving a signal before giving a punch and running.</p><p class="p3">All of a sudden, a blinding flash of lightning passed one of them. When they looked down, their gun was gone.</p><p class="p3">"What the hell?!"</p><p class="p3">They whirled around to see a blonde ten-year-old girl in a uniform covered in reflective gold, wearing a headband with lightning bolts on the sides, tossing around the gun.</p><p class="p3">"You really think this thing's gonna hit anyone?" she scoffed, a slight accent in her voice.<br/>"Pathetic."</p><p class="p3">Then she suddenly turned around</p><p class="p3">"Heads up!"</p><p class="p3">and threw the gun in the air.</p><p class="p3">A red beam surrounded it and the gun turned to ash. The assassins were stunned.</p><p class="p3">"What the--?!"</p><p class="p3">"Don't you know lightning strikes twice?" she said indicating to her partner.</p><p class="p3">A boy in a spy suit wearing shades folded his arms and smirked at the group of stunned assassins.</p><p class="p3">"Oh hey," he said.<br/>"Hope you don't mind me throwing a little shade."</p><p class="p3">"Why you little-!"</p><p class="p3">
  <strong> <em>BOOM!</em> </strong>
</p><p class="p3">Out of nowhere, another assassin was pinned down by a red brick. He wasn't killed, but the block was impossible to lift. </p><p class="p3">"Yes!" a girl's voice cheered. </p><p class="p3">They turned to see a girl with light-blonde hair done in pigtails, wearing a lavender suit with a silver stripe going diagonal.</p><p class="p3">"New high score!"</p><p class="p3">The assassins couldn't believe what they were seeing. </p><p class="p3">"Are we really gonna have to call for backup because of a bunch of kids?!" one of them asked.</p><p class="p3">"Who's up for a sugar high?!"</p><p class="p3">A girl with brown hair in pigtails slid from the vent down a slide of pink frosting. From her hands she threw a piece of super sticky bubblegum that wrapped itself around another assassin. </p><p class="p3">"Forget a sugar high. How about just getting high?" a boy with curly blond hair called.</p><p class="p3">He flung something at one of the assassins who began to space out.</p><p class="p3">"Absolutely!" another said.</p><p class="p3">They got out a walkie-talkie and were about to radio in for backup.</p><p class="p3">"Hey! You're making me go batty!"</p><p class="p3">A girl quickly transformed into a bat and flew around the theatre, one of the assassins chasing after her.</p><p class="p3">"If you can't take the heat, stay out of the theatre!" </p><p class="p3">Two other girls, one in a neon-blue suit and the other in neon pink; the first shot down like a meteor, surrounded by blue fire, and hit them, decimating the walkie-talkie, and setting the assassin on fire; blue fire. The second shot out a pink flame with a screech.</p><p class="p3">"I can't <em>bear </em>to see evil win!" </p><p class="p3">A kid in a bear onesie, one side white and the other black, shot a ball of honey out of their paw and sent a squad of grizzlies to attack the assassins. </p><p class="p3">"Fuck this," another assassin scoffed.<br/>"Let's just get this done with!"</p><p class="p3">He bust open the door to the theatre and the ones left followed. One stayed behind, as one of the kids tapped him on the shoulder.</p><p class="p3">"Hey! Did you hear the news?"</p><p class="p3">"Huh?"</p><p class="p3">He whirled around to see a girl in a reporter's suit; she gestured for him to lean closer. Deciding to humor her, he did.</p><p class="p3"><em>"Did you hear the news?" </em>she repeated in his ear.<br/><em>"You shot two of your fellow assassins in the legs."</em></p><p class="p3">The assassin's eyes glazed over and he pointed his gun at two of the assassins. Two shots to the legs each as the girl skipped away. </p><p class="p3">But while the battle was raging on, with the audience in a panic, there was one struggling to join.</p><hr/><p class="p3">
  <strong> <span class="u">Mystic's POV:</span> </strong>
</p><p class="p3">I could tell I was almost there; the gunshots were raging and my siblings were taking hits. </p><p class="p3">"Don't worry," I said to myself as I dropped from the vent to the door outside of a first floor box.<br/>"I'll be there in a second."</p><p class="p3">I burst open the door and flung myself over the box. There was one assassin left; this was my chance to prove that I had what it took to become a superhero; there was one problem. I didn't know how my powers worked. I knew I had them, but I didn't know what they were. </p><p class="p3">"Mystic?!" </p><p class="p3">The others began to get distracted, giving the assassin room to deliver hits and blows. </p><p class="p3">"Uhhh.....super climbing skills!" I yelled out at random. </p><p class="p3">I felt nothing.</p><p class="p3">Despite this, I launched myself onto the assassin and clawed at his back, trying to get up to his face. He fell forward, but the trigger went off and was right in the path of the target. </p><p class="p3">
  <em>"The brush is mightier than the bullet!"</em>
</p><p class="p3">Out of nowhere, an ice shield, engraved with the academy logo, appeared in the path. The bullet hit the shield and shattered into bits. One of my siblings whispered something in his ear and he dropped unconscious. </p><hr/><p class="p3">Ten minutes later, the police arrived and took the assassins into custody. I felt a mixture of relief and anxiety. I hadn't necessarily stopped the battle, but I'd done something...right?</p><p class="p3">All of a sudden, I felt someone pull me back and thrust me down onto one of the theatre benches. I looked up to see a fury-filled Nikita, the team's second-in-command.</p><p class="p3">"What the hell were you thinking?" she snapped.<br/>"You showed up late, you didn't have your uniform on, you nearly put everyone in danger, you nearly got the lead actress killed, but worst of all, you put yourself into danger!"</p><p class="p3">Tears were welling up in my eyes. I despised being yelled at, and if I had the emotional courage to, I'd have fought back, but I just felt like crying.</p><p class="p3">"I just wanted to help," I gulped.</p><p class="p3">"Well, you did the exact opposite," she spat.<br/>"I should've expected this out of you. You never come to training sessions and now you nearly got us all killed, and on our very first mission no less. You're a disgrace to this team, an absolute disgrace."</p><p class="p3">And then she walked away. </p><p class="p3">I was trembling out of fear and sadness. It wasn't my fault dad didn't bring my uniform. I was expecting to be able to help, but my dad just had to drop it on me that that wasn't going to be the case. I curled up underneath the bench and wept. </p><p class="p3">Twenty minutes went by, then forty, and then an hour; no one came to search for me. Did they all think the same thing? That I was a disgrace to the team?</p><p class="p3">
  <em>No, that can't be true. I'm not a disgrace, right?</em>
</p><p class="p3">I fought this battle with myself for God-knows-how-long, before the weeping tired me out.</p><hr/><p>
  <span class="u"> <strong>Narration:</strong> </span>
</p><p><span class="u"></span>Meanwhile, outside the theatre, the other 21 had gathered by the steps along with Clarke, reporters taking pictures and holding out mics.</p><p>"My fellow citizens," Clarke proclaimed.<br/>"The world is changing, and we must change along with it. It is an even more dangerous place, but with it come more powerful fighters. My friends, here today is the inaugural class of the Lark Academy. I have adopted 22 children in total, their birth parents all compensated accordingly."</p><p>The reporters wrote this down.</p><p>"Mr. Clarke, are you concerned for the safety of these children?"</p><p>"Of course, and for the world."</p><p>"Where's the 22nd?"</p><p>"She's unfortunately ill."</p><p>"Do you know who the girl was climbing on the assassin?"</p><p>"Not a clue."</p><p>Finally one stepped forward, trying to figure out something.</p><p>"Who was the one who stopped the bullet?"</p><p>"Ah," Clarke said proudly, gesturing to the second row of seven. </p><p>A girl with glasses and curly brown hair stepped out, timidly.</p><p>"That would be Frozeasel. I've taught her quite well, and she shall be properly rewarded for her deeds."</p><p>He then gestured to the others.</p><p>"StrateZAP here is our first-in-command, followed by the Screeching Dragon as our second-in-command."</p><p>He then listed off the others.</p><p>"Then we have Doctor Scalpel, The Steel Eyepatch, Galaxy Future, Chica Rayo, Gemstone, Sew Yesterday, The Zoot Suit, The Chameleon, The Dramatist, The Reporter, Pixel, The DiLizar, Operatique, Bat Noire, Sugar Spice, The Honey Bear, Evergreen, The Blue Ember, and our unfortunately-ill child, Miss Mystery."</p><p>Unbeknownst to him, there was someone watching this live broadcast, someone who had his eyes on some of those children. So while Clarke was talking to the reporters and the kids were speaking with some civilians, Frozeasel being particularly popular, the man began to formulate his plans......</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The Emotional Birthday Roller Coaster, Part 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Mystic is found by a few of her siblings who try to make the special day better for her.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">Some time later, I felt someone gently shaking me and whispering my name.</p><p class="p1">
  <em>"Mystic?"</em>
</p><p class="p1">It was a kind voice, so I knew it couldn't be Nikita. I opened my eyes to see Sugar Spice, StrateZAP, and Bat Noire. Rosanna, Matthew, and Safiya, respectively.</p><p class="p1">"Mystic?" Ro asked.<br/>"What happened?"</p><p class="p1">I tried to wipe my tears.</p><p class="p1">"Nothing," I sniffled.<br/>"I'm fine."</p><p class="p1">"You wouldn't have been curled up under that bench for about six hours if you were fine," StrateZAP, our team leader, pointed out.</p><p class="p1">Six hours. So people didn't notice that I was missing for nearly a quarter of the day....</p><p class="p1">"And why did you just throw yourself into the battle like that, especially with no uniform?" Safiya asked genuinely concerned.<br/>"You nearly got yourself killed."</p><p class="p1">I shut my eyes.</p><p class="p1">"Do...do you think I'm a disgrace to the team?" I asked meekly.</p><p class="p1">The three of them looked confused and concerned.</p><p class="p1">"Of course not," Matt assured me.<br/>"You still did something, and you being a part of the family's more than enough."</p><p class="p1">"That's not what Nikita thinks," I sighed.</p><p class="p1">Hearing this, he huffed.</p><p class="p1">"What did she do?" </p><p class="p1">"She pulled me aside and snapped at me, told me I was an absolute disgrace to the team."</p><p class="p1">Ro pursed her lips and pulled me in close, rubbing my back. I could hear her trying to keep her tears back. </p><p class="p1">"I'll have a talk with her," Matt sighed.<br/>"But Saf has a point. Why did you just throw yourself into the battle like that? Where was your uniform? Why didn't you use your powers?"</p><p class="p1">I sniffled.</p><p class="p1">"What powers? I'm borderline-ordinary, you all know that. They're too weak......I just wanted to help out.....dad didn't bring my uniform and.....he's never set up training sessions for me."</p><p class="p1">Disbelief seeped through them. </p><p class="p1">"For real?" Saf exclaimed.</p><p class="p1">I nodded regretfully.</p><p class="p1">"I keep trying to ask him to train me, but he just brushes me aside. He even barred me from the training room after asking one too many times. I don't understand....does he really hate me that much?"</p><p class="p1">"I don't think he hates you," Ro answered, sniffling.<br/>"Maybe he's just worried."</p><p class="p1">"Worried? Ro, I was the only one he didn't talk to about the mission last night. He admitted that he purposefully didn't bring my uniform. He hates me, 100%!"</p><p class="p1">"I don't mean to interrupt, but it's getting late. We can talk about this on the way back," Matt said.</p><p class="p1">I shook my head.</p><p class="p1">"I'm not going back. I know dad's gonna blow a fuse, Nikita's probably gonna snap at me again, and I don't even want to know how the others are going to react. I feel like you'd all be better off if I just left the family."</p><p class="p1">"Not true," Ro said immediately with the other two nodding.<br/>"Who's gonna be the one who writes amazing stories? Who's gonna be ready to cuddle with anyone who's had a bad day? Who's gonna brighten up the room with her smile?"</p><p class="p1">"All of you could do that and more," I sighed. </p><p class="p1">All of a sudden, the door opened and another person approached. </p><p class="p1">"Hey," The Reporter, Eva, said.<br/>"How is she?"</p><p class="p1">"Just peachy," I sighed.</p><p class="p1">"She doesn't want to go back," Saf told her.</p><p class="p1">Eva sat down next to the three of them. </p><p class="p1">"Mystic...." she said.<br/>"We <em>need</em> you back."</p><p class="p1">"You don't, though," I sighed.<br/>"I nearly got someone killed today. You don't need that kind of mess on the team."</p><p class="p1">"You're still learning, just like the rest of us."</p><p class="p1">"Hard to learn when you're never given the lessons."</p><p class="p1">Eva blinked in disbelief.</p><p class="p1">"Dad's apparently never trained her," Matt said.</p><p class="p1">"That's crazy!"</p><p class="p1">"He also didn't bring my uniform," I sighed.<br/>"So much for a happy birthday."</p><p class="p1">"We still have time. C'mon."</p><p class="p1">After some more coaxing, they finally got me out from underneath the bench. I was begging whatever forces in the universe were out there to make this day even just a little better.</p><hr/><p class="p1">On the way we walked past an electronics' store where there was a news broadcast.</p><p class="p1">
  <em>"....assassination attempt at a local theatre, only for it to be stopped by a group calling themselves the Lark Academy. However one in particular saved the target's life. A ten-year-old girl going by the name of Frozeasel--"</em>
</p><p class="p1">Her picture popped up on the screen.</p><p class="p1">"That's Delta!" I gasped as the broadcast went on.</p><p class="p1">Delta had been Nikita's main target of bullying for the past seven years or so because she thought her powers of art and ice, particularly ice sculpting, were stupid. Well, now those "stupid powers" were putting her on the news.</p><p class="p1">
  <em>"Police are still searching for the identity of the civilian child who attacked the assassin from behind--"</em>
</p><p class="p1">A video of me jumping up onto the back of the final assassin appeared, and I wanted nothing more than to destroy everything within a ten-mile radius. A civilian? A civilian?! Rage built up inside of me.</p><p class="p1">"I'm not a civilian. I'm not a civilian! I'M NOT A CIVILIAN!" I yelled at the TV.</p><p class="p1">I ran off, faintly hearing something shatter. Eva and the others had to stop me from going on a rampage.</p><p class="p1">“We can make this better, we promise,” Safiya assured me.</p><p class="p1">We walked past all of the neighboring stores, my heart sinking. It kept slowing me down more and more.</p><p class="p1">"Wait," Eva said.<br/>"There's something we need to pick up."</p><p class="p1">The four of them went inside a random store. I sat down on the pavement with tears in my eyes. The rational part of my mind, if I had one, told me that they would be coming back, but my ten year old brain was overrun with emotions, and my emotions told me they'd abandoned me. Call me stupid or whatever, but if you were in my shoes, you'd probably do the same. My ten-year-old confidence had been shattered. Through my tears, I decided to sing a bit; maybe I could feel a little less lonely...</p><p class="p1">
  <em>"And now I'm all alone again</em>
  <br/>
  <em>Nowhere to turn, no one to go to</em>
  <br/>
  <em>Without a home without a friend</em>
  <br/>
  <em>Without a face to say hello to</em>
  <br/>
  <em>And now the night is near</em>
  <br/>
  <em>I can make believe they're here</em>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <em>"Sometimes I walk alone at night</em>
  <br/>
  <em>When everybody else is sleeping</em>
  <br/>
  <em>I think of them and I'm happy</em>
  <br/>
  <em>With the company I'm keeping</em>
  <br/>
  <em>The city goes to bed</em>
  <br/>
  <em>And I can live inside my head.</em>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <em>"Own my own</em>
  <br/>
  <em>Pretending they're beside me</em>
  <br/>
  <em>All alone</em>
  <br/>
  <em>I walk with them till morning</em>
  <br/>
  <em>Without them</em>
  <br/>
  <em>I feel their arms around me</em>
  <br/>
  <em>And when I lose my way I close my eyes</em>
  <br/>
  <em>And they have found me.</em>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <em>"In the rain the pavement shines like silver</em>
  <br/>
  <em>All the lights are misty in the river</em>
  <br/>
  <em>In the darkness, the trees are full of starlight</em>
  <br/>
  <em>And all I see is them and me forever and forever</em>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <em>"And I know it's only in my mind</em>
  <br/>
  <em>That I'm talking to myself and not to—“</em>
</p><p class="p1">"Myst--"</p><p class="p1">I stopped myself as the four of them came out of the store, the bell ringing. </p><p class="p1">“Huh?” I asked turning to them.</p><p class="p1">Eva had her hands behind her back.</p><p class="p1">“We know you’ve had your eyes on this for a while, so we saved our allowance in the hopes of affording it.”</p><p class="p1">She pulled it out. It was a violet-silk journal with gold accents, along with a gold pen donning a unicorn head on the top of it. I was stunned; I definitely had had my eyes on it for a while.</p><p class="p1">“How….?” I squeaked.</p><p class="p1">“This is like $50!”</p><p class="p1">“Like she said,” Safiya told me.</p><p class="p1">“We saved up our allowance for it.”</p><p class="p1">In tears, I ran forward and hugged them.</p><p class="p1">“Thank you!”</p><p class="p1">Euphoria and glee rushed through my brain. The four of them all returned the hugs.</p><p class="p1">“C’mon,” Matt said.</p><p class="p1">“We have just enough to pick up a little treat from the bakery.”</p><p class="p1">I could already feel my mouth watering.</p><p class="p1">“Race you there!” I exclaimed, holding tight to my new present and dashing off as we all laughed joyfully in the summer sunset.</p><hr/><p class="p1">We rushed back to the Lark Academy carrying a container of Gluten and Dairy Free marble cupcakes. In the back of my mind, I knew that dad was probably gonna kill me when I got back inside, but at the moment I didn’t care. I was glad that the day had turned on its head. Maybe I was a disgrace to the team, but there was no way I was a disgrace as a person, right? I was someone special tonight.</p><p class="p1">Well, I was. Until we stepped inside.</p><p class="p1">“Three more cheers for Frozeasel!"</p><p class="p1">The others were cheering Delta on, which I understood, but still. Wasn’t this supposed to be about me as well?</p><p class="p1">“Um, hey,” I said.</p><p class="p1">The others turned to me, and the anger seared back through me.</p><p class="p1">“Thanks for waiting for me, by the way.”</p><p class="p1">“We would’ve,” Colleen said, trying to reassure me.<br/>“If Nikita and dad hadn’t insisted leaving the theatre. I promise it wasn’t on purpose.”</p><p class="p1">"I wanted to go back for you right away," Delta added.<br/>"But I got ambushed by the paparazzi." </p><p class="p1">“Number 22,” dad snapped.</p><p class="p1"><em>Here we go</em>, I sighed internally as he grabbed my collar and whirled me towards his fuming face.</p><p class="p1">“What were you thinking running off like that?! You could’ve been killed!”</p><p class="p1">“Well, maybe you should’ve told me you didn’t plan for me to go on the mission beforehand,” I retorted.<br/>“Instead of getting my hopes up and shattering them like a glass unicorn!”</p><p class="p1">Even as a ten-year-old, I had a sense of what was fair and what wasn't. And this? Completely unfair. I could vaguely see the others out of the corner of my eye; some had expressions of anger, others of pity, and others of confusion.</p><p class="p1">“I told you; your powers are too weak. You need to train them.”</p><p class="p1">“Gee, you know I would, except you barred me from the training grounds!”</p><p class="p1">Thank God Mom stepped up.</p><p class="p1">“Mystic, why don’t you go open your gifts? I’ll talk to your father.”</p><p class="p1">A little shot of hope rushed through me. Even if this day was turning out the worst, I still had gifts, right?</p><p class="p1">She lead me over to the parlor, but stopped short.</p><p class="p1">“Oh dear, I promise there were more.”</p><p class="p1">All I could see was one small, sad package.</p><p class="p1">"Where....where are the others?" I asked meekly.</p><p class="p1">“I’m going to be holding onto them,” dad announced.<br/>“Until she learns her lesson.”</p><p class="p1">I whirled on him.</p><p class="p1">“What lesson?” I hissed.<br/>“That I shouldn’t get to think I’m special for once? That I can’t actually be good at something or be useful?”</p><p class="p1">“You’ll find something that you're good at,” he brushed off.</p><p class="p1">“That <em>something</em> should be my powers! I was born on the same day as all of <em>them</em>, and yet by some freak coincidence, <em>I’m </em>borderline-powerless? Does anyone else see something kinda weird about that?! Huh?!”</p><p class="p1">The group fell silent for a few moments.</p><p class="p1">“It’s not <em>our </em>fault you’re the weak one.”</p><p class="p1">Of course Nikita would be the one to say that.</p><p class="p1">“Nikita—“ Delta began, looking visibly concerned.</p><p class="p1">“Shh, it’s okay, girl. I’ve got this.”</p><p class="p1">Both her head and expression did a complete 180.</p><p class="p1">“You're gonna be a liability to the team, I know it. All you do is whine and put yourself in danger. ‘Oh, boo-hoo! I’m so weak. I’ll just jump into the fray and blame my siblings for my injuries.’ Grow up.”</p><p class="p1">“Gee, you’re one to talk about growing up,” I snipped.<br/>“When all you do is cut down those you consider weaker just to make yourself feel special. Heck, you targeted and belittled Delta ever since you all began training, and then suddenly she gets famous and now you’re kissing up to her? And <em>I’m </em>the one who needs to grow up?”</p><p class="p1">I heard Tyler’s classic quiet “Oop” from the back. For a moment, Nikita was stunned silent, until she did something I was afraid of. In a split second, she had my new notebook in her hands.</p><p class="p1">“Ooh, what’s this?” she taunted.</p><p class="p1">“Give that back!” I snapped.</p><p class="p1">Unfortunately she was taller than me, so immediately she was holding it over my head, literally and metaphorically.</p><p class="p1">“Aww, how cute. You still believe in unicorns.”</p><p class="p1">“Nikita, give that back to her!” I heard Alice call out.</p><p class="p1">Hearing this, she smirked, and my stomach dropped.</p><p class="p1">“Okay,” she chuckled.<br/>“She can have it back.”</p><p class="p1">Then the flames appeared and began to spread.</p><p class="p1">With the plan to devour my new notebook and pen.</p><p class="p1">And that was when my emotional bomb went off. I yelled right at her face</p><p class="p1">“DROP THAT BOOK, YOU HUSSY!”</p><p class="p1">All of a sudden, she fell backwards to the floor and slid a little ways away, the book and pen jumping out of her hands and to the floor near my feet. Delta stepped back, taking refuge on the couch and the others were just stunned. Without another word, I snatched up the notebook and pen before dad could even consider taking it, and rushed upstairs, tears nearly blinding my vision.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. The Emotional Birthday Roller Coaster, Part 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>We learn a bit more, and then take a time jump.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <strong> <span class="u">Rosanna’s POV:</span> </strong>
</p><p class="p1">As Mystic rushed up the stairs, I tried to go after her.</p><p class="p1">“Mystic, wait!”</p><p class="p1">Out of nowhere, I felt a thud against my jaw as I hit the floor. Looking behind me, I saw Nikita holding onto my ankle.</p><p class="p1">“Let her go and cry,” she scoffed.<br/>“It’s not our fault she can’t handle criticism.”</p><p class="p1">Even at ten years old, I knew what criticism was, and what Nikita had done? Who could call <em>that </em>criticism?</p><p class="p1">“Criticism? Criticism?!” I snapped pulling my ankle out of her grasp, rubbing my jaw to lessen the pain.<br/>“That wasn’t even close to criticism! That was straight-up bullying, Nikita. You should be ashamed of yourself!”</p><p class="p1">“I was just saying what we’re all thinking.”</p><p class="p1">“I wasn’t thinking that,” Alice spoke up angrily.<br/>“I was thinking about how much of a jerk you’re being!”</p><p class="p1">“Low blow, girl,” Cyrille said.<br/>“Seriously a low blow.”</p><p class="p1">“I ought to deck you for that,” Vanessa growled.<br/>“You don’t go beating up the underdogs.”</p><p class="p1">“Am disappointed in you,” Bailey sighed.<br/>“You’re better than this, Nikita.”</p><p class="p1">More and more of them were speaking up. But as happy I was the other siblings were standing up to Nikita, there was someone who should’ve been the first to say something. I looked over to dad, hoping that maybe he’d tell her off. There seemed to be something in his eyes, maybe a glint of regret or guilt, but even so, he didn’t say a word. He just….walked away.</p><p class="p1">“Dad…..” I croaked, tears coming to my eyes.</p><p class="p1">“She was the one who called me a hussy!” Nikita snapped.</p><p class="p1">All of a sudden, I saw a hand on her shoulder. I looked up to see mom.</p><p class="p1">“Nikita,” she said, her voice calm, but firm.<br/>“I agree that that was uncalled for, and I <em>will</em> have a talk with Mystic about that. However you, young lady, are in big trouble. You will be buying a new notebook for her with your <em>own </em>money by the end of this month. You will also be writing and delivering an apology to her and you are also on dishwashing duty for the next two weeks.”</p><p class="p1">“What?!”</p><p class="p1">As much as I hate to see people suffering, it felt good to see Nikita get what she deserved. What she’d done was worse than Lele using her lightning powers to destroy the bathroom. You can rebuild a bathroom in almost no time at all, but it takes years to rebuild self-esteem.</p><p class="p1">“You heard me, young lady.”</p><p class="p1">“This is so unfair!”</p><p class="p1">“No, what you did to Mystic is unfair,” I snapped.<br/>“Especially after calling her a disgrace to the team!”</p><p class="p1">Another of Tyler’s “oops.”</p><p class="p1">“I’m sorry; you told her she was <em>what</em>?!” Joey asked.</p><p class="p1">“That’s not cool!” Cyrille shook her head.</p><p class="p1">“If there’s anyone who’s a disgrace to the team, it’s you, Nikita!” Vanessa snapped.</p><p class="p1">“It’s not <em>my </em>fault she’s the weak one!”</p><p class="p1">“What if she’s not?” JC asked out of the blue.</p><p class="p1">Silence.</p><p class="p1">“Of <em>course </em>she’s the weak one,” Nikita scoffed before heading over to Delta.<br/>“C’mon, sweetie. I’ll give you a massage.”</p><p class="p1">The offer was so out-of-the-blue that Delta didn’t really have time to react. Once Nikita was gone, Sibyl spoke up.</p><p class="p1">“I mean, there <em>is </em>a possibility. Maybe she’s just a late bloomer.”</p><p class="p1">“Yeah,” Lauren agreed.<br/>“I think Nikita’s gonna eat her words one day.”</p><p class="p1">"You bet she is," Cyrille smirked.<br/>"C'mon, Mystic deserves better than this."</p><p class="p1">We all began to organize a little something for her.</p><hr/><p class="p1"><span class="u"><strong>Mystic's POV:</strong></span><br/><br/>Once I was in my room, that door was locked and blocked. I turned on my lamp and assessed what damage she’d done. The pen was burnt shut, several of the pages were burnt to the middle, and the silk was singed a fair amount.</p><p class="p1">“I…I can still use this….” I tried to convince myself through my tears.<br/>“It’s still usable….”</p><p class="p1">In the back of my mind, however, I knew it was hardly usable. The one birthday present that I truly had was gone for good.</p><p class="p1">I don’t remember exactly how long I was in there, but soon I heard a knock on the door.</p><p class="p1">
  <em>“Mystic?”</em>
</p><p class="p1">It was Ro. I looked up. and went to the door, unblocking and unlocking it. I opened the door a crack and peeked out to see the four of them, with Colleen trailing behind. Eva was carrying a plate with some cake as well as a few presents.</p><p class="p1">“Can we come in?”</p><p class="p1">I nodded.</p><p class="p1">“You feeling better?” she asked as they stepped inside the tiny bedroom.</p><p class="p1">“To be honest, no. First mission and I wasn’t even allowed to go….”</p><p class="p1">“Ro told us about all of the stuff dad’s been putting you through,” Colleen exclaimed.</p><p class="p1">There was a moment of silence.</p><p class="p1">“How’s the journal?” Eva asked.</p><p class="p1">“Barely usable. How’s Nikita?”</p><p class="p1">“Mom’s put her on dishwashing duty for the next 2 weeks and she has to get you a new journal.”</p><p class="p1">I couldn’t help but giggle a little at that.</p><p class="p1">“Where did you get these?” I asked indicating to the presents.</p><p class="p1">They all glanced over at Eva who whistled while looking up at the ceiling.</p><p class="p1">“You used your powers, didn’t you?”</p><p class="p1">She nodded.</p><p class="p1">“It wasn’t fair that the rest of us were getting presents and you weren’t, so I gave dad some news.”</p><p class="p1">She set them down on the bed.</p><p class="p1">“I had to be quick, though, because it seemed to not be as effective on dad, so it wore off kinda quickly.”</p><p class="p1">I gave her a sad smile. She’d done her best and that was all I could ask for.</p><p class="p1">I’ll spare you the details of opening presents. The important part was that I was spending time with some of the siblings who supported me the most. And that was the best birthday present of them all.</p><hr/><p class="p1">
  <span class="u"> <strong>March 25th, 2019</strong> </span>
</p><p class="p1">Now here I was; almost 26 years old.</p><p class="p1">While most of my siblings had moved out and settled with jobs, I became what you might call a job hopper. A cashier job at an indie record store here. A playwright there. Anything I could do to get some cash.</p><p class="p1">“Whatcha dreaming about, Myst?”</p><p class="p1">The voice of one of my co-workers brought me out of my stupor. Twila Pearson, who reminded me of a purple-haired elf. She was very much the hippie kind of lady.</p><p class="p1">Chuckling I shook my head.</p><p class="p1">“Just thinking, I guess.”</p><p class="p1">She nodded.</p><p class="p1">“That’s a good habit to get into. Thinking keeps the mind sharp.”</p><p class="p1">I chuckled.</p><p class="p1">Suddenly I heard the bell jingle as a customer walked in. My heart was pounding and I ducked out to the back.</p><p class="p1">“Sorry, Twila,” I whispered.</p><p class="p1">They say that 95% of your self-esteem comes from the first 7 years of your childhood. And I’ll be damned if I had hardly any left; I spent it watching my siblings train while I had to stay in my room. They all went out to fight while I had to stay back. But there was one of the siblings whose presence urked me the most, and surprisingly it wasn’t Nikita.</p><p class="p1">I got out my phone and scrolled through my Twitter feed; not surprisingly <em>she </em>was trending.</p><p class="p1">It was always Frozeasel this, Frozeasel that…..hell, after that incident, she was invited to record phrases for a Barbie doll, one that was still being sold! Sure the rest of my siblings were popular, and occasionally someone would wonder who Miss Mystery was, but if you said Lark Academy to anyone, Frozeasel would be the first superhero to come to mind.</p><p class="p1">And what’s more, her career as an artist automatically took off with art of that day; paintings of the theatre, a sculpture of the lead actress she saved, etc,. Interviews, exhibitions, competitions, parties, she was doing it all, and all because she stopped a stupid fucking bullet.</p><p class="p1"><em>Why is </em> <b> <em>she </em> </b> <em>so successful?! It’s not fair!</em></p><p class="p1">My muscles tensed up as I gripped onto my phone. I was on the verge of breaking my phone when I got a phone call. The picture it showed made my heart flutter.</p><p class="p1">Hazel eyes, gorgeous brown hair with new highlights every week, slightly-tanned skin; my girlfriend, Andrea Pearson.</p><p class="p1">Trying not to giggle like a little school girl, I answered the phone.</p><p class="p1">“Hey, babe,” I smiled, relief flooding through me.</p><p class="p1">
  <em>“Hey, boo. How’s work going?”</em>
</p><p class="p1">“Oh, the usual. Record sorting, talking to your sister, hiding from customers in the back room because socialization is a nope.”</p><p class="p1">
  <em>“If that ain’t a fucking mood.”</em>
</p><p class="p1">I chuckled.</p><p class="p1">“Honestly, you were exactly what I needed right about now.”</p><p class="p1">
  <em>“She popping up on your Twitter feed again?”</em>
</p><p class="p1">“When is she <em>not</em>?”</p><p class="p1">
  <em>“Honestly, you could try smoking weed if you wanted. It’s supposed to calm you.”</em>
</p><p class="p1">“Andrea, I told you; I’m not into drugs.”</p><p class="p1">
  <em>“And I told you; I get it, I’m just saying that weed has some benefits.”</em>
</p><p class="p1">I chuckled once again. We talked a bit more when Twila entered.</p><p class="p1">“Hey, the boss told us we can head out early. She’s got a family emergency.”</p><p class="p1">My eyes grew wide when I heard this.</p><p class="p1">“Oh shit, what happened?”</p><p class="p1">She shrugged.</p><p class="p1">“Dunno, something about her kid having an allergic reaction, I think.”</p><p class="p1">I got back on the phone.</p><p class="p1">“I’ll talk to you later, babe.”</p><p class="p1">
  <em>“You too, boo.”</em>
</p><p class="p1">We gave each other a little phone kiss and then hung up. Twila and I quickly closed up shop and headed out into the chilly spring air.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Killer Queen</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The fam reunites, we've got a dance number, and Elise Clarke is the real MVP.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="u"> <strong>Mystic's POV:</strong> </span>
</p><p class="p1">I always tried to take a slow stroll home whenever I got off from work, and it was for a good reason. With my powers being the weakest, whenever I wasn’t at one of my many side jobs, I was only allowed to go home, and there I’d essentially be treated like a porcelain doll. On dad’s orders, the maids of the estate, and on mom’s volunteering, I was to be doted upon, spoiled, and protected. I suppose it was to make up for the years of neglect and emotional abuse, because even he would try to spend some time with me, but would always leave the second I asked him why my powers were so weak.</p><p class="p1">This wasn’t the first time, though. Mom was often charged to make sure I’d be kept busy while the others were training when we were younger. She and I became especially close, but that didn’t mean I liked being doted on. I kept telling dad that I didn’t deserve this, but he'd just brush it off and have the maids do my hair or something. So the only way to avoid this would be to either arrange a date with Andrea right after work or take a slow stroll back to the academy. But this time, I got a barrage of texts from two of my sisters; Delta and Colleen.</p><p class="p1">
  <em>Where are you?</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>Are you off work yet?</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>Are you okay?</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>I miss you!</em>
</p><p class="p1">Over and over. It was weird because they wouldn’t do that, aside from the missing-you texts……unless….</p><p class="p1">“Oh….shit….”</p><p class="p1">Against my better judgment, I ran back to the academy.</p><hr/><p class="p1">I burst through the front door.</p><p class="p1">“Sorry! I was—“</p><p class="p1">And found everyone.</p><p class="p1">But I could barely comprehend what the fuck was going on because that second, I practically had the life squeezed out of me by Colleen.</p><p class="p1">“Mystic! Are you okay? Are you hurt?”</p><p class="p1">“I’m fine,” I exclaimed, trying to push away. “Why are you all here?”</p><p class="p1">Colleen looked at me and gave me a smile.</p><p class="p1">“Delta and I are moving back in to look after you.”</p><p class="p1">The dread inside of me grew even greater.</p><p class="p1">“Colleen, I’m 25! I don’t need to be taken care of!”</p><p class="p1">“But you <em>are </em>the weakest of us,” Nikita reminded me. “So you <em>do</em>.”</p><p class="p1">I looked around at the others…..and I could tell something was up. I also did a headcount and realized….we were a few short.</p><p class="p1">“Guys?” I gulped. “Where are Sibyl and Lauren?”</p><p class="p1">“So what do you want for dinner?” Colleen interrupted. “How about a nice bowl of stew?”</p><p class="p1">“How about a nice bowl of some answers?! Where are they?”</p><p class="p1">I pulled away aggressively.</p><p class="p1">“Mystic…” Alice sighed. “The thing is—“</p><p class="p1">Nikita glared at her.</p><p class="p1">“She has the right to know!” Alice argued.</p><p class="p1">“She’s a liability! The last thing we need is her getting involved.”</p><p class="p1">“Guys, what’s going on?! Can I be in the loop for one goddamn second?!”</p><p class="p1">The silence felt eternal and absolutely torturous. But it was Vanessa who had the courage to speak up.</p><p class="p1">“The two of them got stuck somewhen in time a week ago.”</p><p class="p1">My heart dropped.</p><p class="p1">“But…..how is that possible? And why aren’t we saving them?!”</p><p class="p1">“They can save themselves,” Nikita spat. “Unlike you.”</p><p class="p1">“Hey, Nikita,” I snapped. “How about for dinner, you have a nice bowl of Shut-the-fuck-up-for-once-in-your-life?”</p><p class="p1">“Oop!”</p><p class="p1">Of course Tyler was there.</p><p class="p1">“I mean….go off, sis," he continued. "But none of us know about how to time-travel.”</p><p class="p1">“What about that cocky guy from the Umbrella Academy, whats-his-face?”</p><p class="p1">“He disappeared when we were 10, remember?” Saf reminded me. “I don’t think he’s coming back.”</p><p class="p1">“Actually,” said a new voice.</p><p class="p1">I looked up to see my brother Matt, carrying a camera.</p><p class="p1">“He <em>is </em>back.”</p><p class="p1">We all whirled around, absolutely bewildered.</p><p class="p1">“Are you serious?!” Lele asked.</p><p class="p1">Matt nodded and opened the video camera. Trying to get as good of a view as possible, I saw a 13 year old boy in a school uniform fall out of a rip in the sky.</p><p class="p1">“Is that actually Five?!” Cyrille asked.</p><p class="p1">Matt nodded.</p><p class="p1">“How did he get back?!” Teala asked in disbelief.</p><p class="p1">“Beats me,” Matt shrugged. “But it looks like he’s been through something.”</p><p class="p1">There was a moment of silence before Delta spoke up as she climbed up the stairs.</p><p class="p1">“Well, I’d better get ready; the exhibition’s supposed to start in an hour. Colleen, can you watch Mystic?”</p><p class="p1">“I can watch myself,” I hissed.</p><p class="p1">But by that time, she was gone. I whirled back around to the group.</p><p class="p1">“You guys can’t be seriously okay with this, right?” I asked. “Them treating me like a child?”</p><p class="p1">They glanced at each other.</p><p class="p1">“I mean, I don’t like it,” Cyrille sighed. “But dad had asked Colleen and Delta to move back in, and dad’s word is kinda final.”</p><p class="p1">“Screw his word!” I snapped. “We’re nearly 26 years old. We don’t need the permission of some eccentric songbird salesman to—“</p><p class="p1">All of a sudden, I heard some zapping sounds.</p><p class="p1">“What’s going on?” Alice gulped.</p><p class="p1">“I don’t know!” Bailey exclaimed.</p><p class="p1">Out of nowhere, a pair of scissors emerged and began to cut downward, getting stuck halfway.</p><p class="p1"><em>“Screw it!” </em>I heard a familiar voice yell. "<em>Let’s just put a rip in this bitch!”</em></p><p class="p1">Then the rip continued until a bright white light emerged, practically blinding us. Through it I saw two figures jump out.</p><p class="p1"><em>“Get it in, hurry!” </em>a second familiar voice said.</p><p class="p1">
  <em>“I’m trying!”</em>
</p><p class="p1">Finally after about 30 seconds of painfully blinding light, and 30 more seconds of recovery, I managed to out two more of my sisters; Lauren and Sibyl Clarke, also known as, Sew Yesterday and Galaxy Future, respectively. It’d make sense they’d get stuck in time.</p><p class="p1">“Ok, I do <em>not </em>want to go back there,” Lauren panted.</p><p class="p1">“Well, we’ll be going <em>forward </em>there,” Sibyl exclaimed. “Unless we do something to stop them from—“</p><p class="p1">Nikita cleared her throat, and the two whirled around.</p><p class="p1">“Oh, hey!” Lauren smiled, trying to pretend like nothing had happened. “What are you all doing here?”</p><p class="p1">“What happened?” I demanded to know. “What did you see—?”</p><p class="p1">“Sibyl and I need to discuss this alone.”</p><p class="p1">Then they just….ran to the nearest room and locked themselves in.</p><p class="p1">“Something tells me that they saw something bad,” Bailey gulped. “Like, world-ending bad.”</p><p class="p1">“You think they saw the apocalypse?” Elijah asked. “Would that even be plausible?”</p><p class="p1">“Hey, we all once fought a mad scientist who was trying to use dolls to take over the city,” Nikita said. “Well, <em>almost </em>all of us.”</p><p class="p1">She glanced over at me as she said this, and I was tensing up.</p><p class="p1">“Anyway, something like that means that the apocalypse isn’t all that far out of a possibility, but let’s not discuss such a scary topic in front of the little girl.”</p><p class="p1">Once again she glanced over at me.</p><p class="p1">“Call me a little girl again,” I growled. “I dare you!”</p><p class="p1">“I thought little girls were sweet,” she cooed mockingly. “I mean, little girls are weak, so I thought you’d also be sweet.”</p><p class="p1">I sighed and shook my head before heading for the stairs.</p><p class="p1">“I don’t have time for this bullshit,” I said.</p><p class="p1">I stormed up, nearly bumping into Delta, before rushing into my room, slamming the door shut, and flopping onto my bed. All thoughts and no thoughts were going through my head all at once. I stared up at the ceiling, wondering when this nightmare would end. When I’d be respected, when I wouldn’t be treated like I was too delicate for the world, when I’d actually have a life. It seemed like that day would never come.</p><p class="p1">Sometime later, I heard something coming from a few doors down; it was a song….</p><p class="p1">
  <em>“She keeps her Moet et Chandon</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>In her pretty cabinet</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>"Let them eat cake", she says</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>Just like Marie Antoinette….”</em>
</p><p class="p1">I don’t know why, but I just start dancing along. It started with just a head bop, but progressed. Little did I know that I wasn’t alone.</p><hr/><p class="p1">
  <strong> <span class="u">Narration:</span> </strong>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>“A built-in remedy</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>For Khrushchev and Kennedy</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>At anytime an invitation</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>You can't decline……”</em>
</p><p class="p1">Alice heard the lyrics from the kitchen where she was prepping a sandwich for herself. It was bringing her back to a simpler time. And her shoulders began to move with the rhythm before it evolving into a little dance.</p><p class="p1">
  <em>“Caviar and cigarettes</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>Well versed in etiquette</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>Extraordinarily nice….”</em>
</p><p class="p1">Cyrille had been working on some animation tests for an film she was on the team for, but as soon as those lyrics hit her ears, she began to tap her foot to the beat, and then she soon got to dancing.</p><p class="p1">
  <em>“She's a Killer Queen</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>Gunpowder, gelatine</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>Dynamite with a laser beam</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>Guaranteed to blow your mind</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>Anytime….”</em>
</p><p class="p1">Eva had been drafting up a news story to send in and had tried to push off the urge, but after a long while, she caved and found herself dancing like how she’d dance in her bedroom as a teen. Who cared if she looked ridiculous? No one was watching, right?</p><p class="p1">
  <em>“Recommended at the price</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>Insatiable an appetite</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>Wanna try?”</em>
</p><p class="p1">Ro had also been in the kitchen with Alice, baking cookies for her sweet shop. Before she knew it, she was swinging her hips and rolling her shoulders as well, placing the cookies on the cooling rack on beat and then began dancing.</p><p class="p1">
  <em>“To avoid complications</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>She never kept the same address</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>In conversation</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>She spoke just like a baroness…..”</em>
</p><p class="p1">Colleen was looking through old pictures when she found herself just moving in a beat; it was then the lyrics hit her ears and she couldn’t help but get into it. Mama, she was ready!</p><p class="p1">
  <em>“Met a man from China</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>Went down to Geisha Minah</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>Then again incidentally</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>If you're that way inclined…..”</em>
</p><p class="p1">Joey was very much into his jewelry crafting, and by that it meant he was crafting jewelry for a minute and then playing Minecraft for an hour, but didn’t hesitate to start dancing when he heard the song. Who cared if his character just got blown up by a creeper and he hadn't built a bed yet?</p><p class="p1">
  <em>“Perfume came naturally from Paris (naturally)</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>For cars she couldn't care less</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>Fastidious and precise…..”</em>
</p><p class="p1">Safiya had been working on some ideas for her new makeup line along with experimenting with bath bombs; namely she was swatching lipsticks, but soon she found herself swatching them on beat. Not only did she dance, but she started humming along a bit.</p><p class="p1">
  <em>“She's a Killer Queen</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>Gunpowder, gelatine</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>Dynamite with a laser beam</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>Guaranteed to blow your mind</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>Anytime….”</em>
</p><p class="p1">Liza was organizing her disguises and cleaning up the ones that needed washing, as she hadn’t worn some of these in ages, but her dancing instincts told her it was time to boogey. So of course, she caved.</p><p class="p1">
  <em>“Drop of a hat she's as willing as</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>Playful as a pussy cat</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>Then momentarily out of action</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>Temporarily out of gas</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>To absolutely drive you wild, wild</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>She's all out to get you….”</em>
</p><p class="p1">Nikita had been prepping a makeup tutorial, but as soon as those lyrics hit her ears, she was on her feet going at it, dropping the booty, swaying the hips, her side job as a pole dancer really <em>did </em>come in handy.</p><p class="p1">
  <em>“She's a Killer Queen</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>Gunpowder, gelatine</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>Dynamite with a laser beam</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>Guaranteed to blow your mind</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>Anytime….”</em>
</p><p class="p1">And JC? Well, he was the one who put on the record. He hated conflict between his loved ones and he knew music was a relatively-shared interest, so he’d been bopping his head long before the others.</p><p class="p1">
  <em>“Recommended at the price</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>Insatiable an appetite</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>Wanna try?</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>You wanna try….”</em>
</p><p class="p1">And he got the whole damn house dancing.</p><p class="p1">“Children!”</p><p class="p1">…Well, almost the whole house.</p><p class="p1">“Get out here now!”</p><p class="p1">Almost immediately they headed to him, standing in their number order with Mystic down at 22 as she was, comparatively, the youngest at least according to Mr. Clarke, the man who had summoned them here. He did a headcount, and found 3 were missing.</p><p class="p1">“Where’s number 4?” he asked.</p><p class="p1">“Delta’s at her exhibition,” Colleen said.</p><p class="p1">He nodded, and turned to Matt.</p><p class="p1">“Number 1, any updates on numbers 14 and 19?”</p><p class="p1">“Uh, yeah, they actually returned just a few hours ago,” Matt said. “But they’ve been holed up in a bedroom talking about something.”</p><p class="p1">“Did you notice or hear anything of note?”</p><p class="p1">“They were talking about needing to ‘stop them’ before going back—er forward—there.”</p><p class="p1">He pursed his lips, a flash of anxiety on his face.</p><p class="p1">“I see,” he said before turning back to the others. “Well, since you all seem so lively, then perhaps a bit of training may be in order to help sharpen up your powers.”</p><p class="p1">Some nervous looks were exchanged, and Mystic had an idea as to why. But unlike the others, Mystic was relatively excited.</p><p class="p1">“Does that include—?” she began.</p><p class="p1">“Yes,” he sighed. “You may work with Reagan, but only after they’re finished working with number 9. For now, return to your room. The rest of you, follow me.”</p><p class="p1">“Wait,” Colleen gasped. “If we’re all training, then who’s gonna watch Myst—?”</p><p class="p1">Hearing that, Mystic turned away and rushed back up the stairs.</p><hr/><p class="p1">
  <strong> <span class="u">Mystic’s POV:</span> </strong>
</p><p class="p1">I stormed into my room and shut the door, infuriated that I was still being treated like a kid. I never got their permission to go out, never got to get an ID, no driver’s tests, nothing. I was like an antique doll that you only took out for show and then put it back in some glass armoire.</p><p class="p1">I was sick of it. And it was at that moment that I had an idea.</p><p class="p1">“Yeah….that’s a good place.”</p><p class="p1">I gathered up my wallet with some cash I’d exchanged from some of my paychecks at the record store, grabbed my phone, and called Andrea.</p><p class="p1"><em>“Hey, babe,” </em>she said. <em>“Where is it this time?”</em></p><p class="p1">“I didn’t even say anything,” I chuckled innocently.</p><p class="p1">
  <em>“Don’t play any cuter than you already are, boo. We both know that when you call me at this time of night, you’re sneaking out somewhere. So where’s the hideout?”</em>
</p><p class="p1">I blushed hearing her call me cute.</p><p class="p1">“Griddy’s Donuts,” I said. “I can probably sneak out the front.”</p><p class="p1"><em>“Awesome,” </em>she replied. <em>“My dad’s too busy with his work. He still thinks I’m at my job right now. Anyway, keep me on the line, okay? Shit can get whack when it’s dark out and the last thing I need is you dead.”</em></p><p class="p1">“Okay,” I nodded before putting on a jacket and stuffing the phone in my pocket. I took a breath before I went to the door and opened it.</p><p class="p1">Just like I suspected, no one was patrolling; the maids had curfew by now, Jax and Reagan were in the training room with the others, and dad would be there to observe. Plus mom would sometimes let me get away with going out. I went down the stairs.</p><p class="p1">“Going somewhere?”</p><p class="p1">I whirled around to see mom and my heart did a double backflip in my chest.</p><p class="p1">“I’ve got my girlfriend on the line and I’ll keep her on the line the whole way there.”</p><p class="p1">Mom was one of the few who knew about Andrea.</p><p class="p1">“Where?”</p><p class="p1">“Griddy’s Donuts.”</p><p class="p1">“Do you have your house key?”</p><p class="p1">I gulped.</p><p class="p1">
  <em>Shit….I don’t remember where it is!</em>
</p><p class="p1">“N…no…”</p><p class="p1">Seemingly out of nowhere, she pulled out my unicorn lanyard with a spare house key, some pepper spray, a Swiss army knife, and a taser. She knew another little secret involving Jax and I, so she wasn’t afraid of me messing up how to use them.</p><p class="p1">“Where…how—?” I stammered.</p><p class="p1">“You left it in the kitchen last time,” she said as she put the lanyard over my neck. “Just be careful and don’t stay out <em>too </em>late. If your father asks, I can tell him that you had dinner and then fell asleep.”</p><p class="p1">I nodded.</p><p class="p1">“You’re the real MVP, mom,” I told her as I gave her a hug and a kiss.</p><p class="p1">She chuckled and returned with a kiss on my forehead.</p><p class="p1">“Be safe, okay?”</p><p class="p1">I nodded as I headed out the door, making sure it was closed behind me.</p>
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